I have FIOS 25/25 with TV, which gives me a 30/25 connection. Suddenly (today at some point), my speeds over wireless N have dropped from my full internet speed, to something around 1Mbit. This happens with both of my desktop PCs (running over WDS), and my laptop.

Here's a speedtest from my wired HTPC.

Edit: And here's one from my laptop.

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Rig(s) not listed, because I change computers, like some people change their socks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff7

Set an otherwise adequately-intelligent person in front of a computer and some act like every incorrect mouse click will cause a child to be dumped into an industrial blender.

I did reboot all of the three DD-WRT boxes. In fact, I shut down the two secondary WDS links entirely, in order to isolate the issue.

I also tried swapping in a new power brick for my primary WDS router.

I also went downstairs, and tried switching off a neighbor lady's router, that I recently installed for her. I did a speedtest in her apt, and get 30mbit/sec down (BEFORE I unplugged her router). Subsequent speedtests, even after unplugging her router, were down to 1-3Mbit.

I'm afraid either my primary router is dying, or there is some new RF source.

Maybe someone is cooking a thanksgiving turkey in the microwave? Seems kind of early for that. My connection never really faltered like this before.

Edit: I have my primary Verizon FIOS router ahead of my primary WDS router. It is also Wireless N. I connect to it (on channel 11) and got a full-speed speedtest.

So to isolate whether my primary WDS router was failing, or whether it was RF interference around channel 1, I changed the channel to 11.

This is my new speedtest, from my laptop connected to my primary WDS router on channel 11.

Pretty good.

So what is generating so much RF that it is crapping up channel 1?

Edit: Wireless "Rate" shown in DD-WRT status page is 72Mbit/sec. It should show 144Mbit/sec. So there might be noise coming into channel 11 as well, or perhaps just the presence of other routers on that channel.

Edit: Now I'm not sure if it's my router or what. I swapped power bricks back to the old one, then I saw that the Rate on the primary WDS router went down to 5.5Mbit/sec.

So I swapped the new one back in, but the Rate is fluctuating between 26, 39, 52, and 104.

Here's a new speedtest from my WDS-connected desktop.

Edit: Primary WDS router rate went to 5.5Mbit/sec again, Speedtest reflected that. Now it's at 104. It seems to bounce around a bit. Puzzling.

Hmm, now I think that someone IS cooking a turkey in a microwave or something. Even changing the channel to 11, my primary WDS router is bouncing between 5.5 and 144. Just like a microwave cycling.

Edit: Decided to pull out one of my spare DD-WRT routers, and set it up to replace my primary router. Finally got it all done and in place, and my Rate was still down to 5.5Mbit/sec at times.

Figuring perhaps my Verizon router which was next to the primary WDS router was interfering, since they were both on channel 11, I decided to change the FIOS router to channel 6.

Now my Rate is bouncing between 13, 39, 144, etc. But mostly stays up there.

Perhaps "someone" is done cooking?

Anyways, it's mostly back to normal now.

Here's a speedtest of a WDS-connected desktop PC.

__________________
Rig(s) not listed, because I change computers, like some people change their socks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff7

Set an otherwise adequately-intelligent person in front of a computer and some act like every incorrect mouse click will cause a child to be dumped into an industrial blender.

My experience with most N gear is less than stellar, but I am also extremely cheap so that may have colored my experiences some.

How far apart are your WDS nodes?

Other than getting a decent spectrum analyzer, trial and error may be your best bet to get the current system corrected. Positioning can make a world of difference. But not knowing what you are tryimg to avoid is a pita...

I did recently upgrade my HTPC to an FM1 rig, in a new case with a new PSU. It's a 2.7Ghz quad-core A6-3670K. It sits on the same shelf with my routers and UPS.

I went into the BIOS and did some deep searching, and by default, Spread Spectrium was disabled. I normally disable it anyways, but I tried enabling it this time. We'll see if it fixes the issue.

I did try shutting the HTPC completely off, when my laptop was connected to the primary WDS router and showing a Rate of 5.5Mbit/sec. The Rate took quite a while to come back up, even after the PC was shut off, so I'm unconvinced that was the problem.

__________________
Rig(s) not listed, because I change computers, like some people change their socks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff7

Set an otherwise adequately-intelligent person in front of a computer and some act like every incorrect mouse click will cause a child to be dumped into an industrial blender.

If you got an N class router it shouldn't be affected by microwave ovens right?
Did you check to see who else is using channel 11 when the problem happens? inssider is a good free utility.

2.4 Ghz is still 2.4 Ghz and is affected by all the stuff in that spectrum. It's crowded as all get out by all kinds of things. It's getting to the point of useless. Baby monitors are the killer or anything else in the same spectrum, microwaves totally STOMP that frequency into the ground but normally only when they are running.

2.4 Ghz is still 2.4 Ghz and is affected by all the stuff in that spectrum. It's crowded as all get out by all kinds of things. It's getting to the point of useless. Baby monitors are the killer or anything else in the same spectrum, microwaves totally STOMP that frequency into the ground but normally only when they are running.

Yeah but if its a dual band router the 5Ghz range is not as likely to be congested and will avoid the microwave oven inteference.

Hmm, I think I found another interesting data point. My other two secondary WDS routers DO NOT drop their transmit rate, in sync with the primary WDS router. They stay at around 117, and 144.

If it is RF interference, it's only affecting the one room, and not the other.

I still wonder if there is something about the HTPC I upgraded, but why wouldn't the transmit rate return to normal max values when I shut it down? So I don't think it's that.

What are the odds that both power bricks, or both routers, have the same problem? Because I replaced the router and power brick entirely. I might just have to try doing that again.

Edit: Ok, I tried swapping in a different, new power brick. One from a bunch I ordered off of ebay, brand-new from USA seller, that were 12V 1A replacements for my WNR834Bv2 routers. They match the adaptors with the WNR2000v2 routers (my current routers), except the adaptors shipped with those say "Efficiency: V", and the WNR834Bv2 adaptors say "Efficiency: IV".

This is all very interesting, even if I don't know everything you are talking about/referencing. Just last night I was checking my buddy's system that I installed and his wireless is just about useless at this point. This gives me something to work with. Speedtest is a pretty handy utility.

I checked my desktop and laptop, the scores were almost identical... far below what ATT is promising, but at least I know it's not my equipment.

You need to isolate the software/drivers. Boot a Linux LiveCD/USB (make sure wireless hardware is supported) and run some tests. If transfers are still poor then it's a hardware/interference problem, but if transfers are solid then it's a software/driver issue.

I also recommend not using Speedtest.net to test your WLAN speeds. Transfer large files across the LAN for that, wireless to wired PC and back.

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You need to isolate the software/drivers. Boot a Linux LiveCD/USB (make sure wireless hardware is supported) and run some tests. If transfers are still poor then it's a hardware/interference problem, but if transfers are solid then it's a software/driver issue.

These are routers I'm talking about. I don't use wireless NICs.

Quote:

I also recommend not using Speedtest.net to test your WLAN speeds. Transfer large files across the LAN for that, wireless to wired PC and back.

That was one of my next steps.

__________________
Rig(s) not listed, because I change computers, like some people change their socks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff7

Set an otherwise adequately-intelligent person in front of a computer and some act like every incorrect mouse click will cause a child to be dumped into an industrial blender.